Aviation authority perusing paperwork for more US airlines in Guyana

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is perusing requisite documentation for several airlines which have indicated interest in connecting in Guyana.

This is according to Junior Public Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson, who in an interview with the media late last week, said that multiple airlines from various continents including Europe and Africa have signaled their intention to fly routes connected to Guyana. She noted that this is being done even as the GCAA is ironing out the requisite documentation for American carrier, Jet Blue Airlines to conduct operations here.

“They’re in contact with the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the necessary paperwork, documentation that they have [is submitted],” she pointed out.

Founded almost 20 years ago, the American-based airline flies to over 100 destinations. Minister Ferguson further revealed that there are other carriers which have indicated interest in flying the Guyana route.

Junior Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson

With the addition of Jet Blue, local air travel is expected to become quite busy in the coming months and perhaps beyond since several agreements have been signed with Government for others to conduct operations. It is expected that prices could decline with more competition in the local market.

Last month GCAA’s Director General Egbert Field told <<<Guyana Times>>> that the Body was gearing up to sign its second agreement with an African nation in its bid to boost tourism. The most recent open skies agreement was signed with Tanzania while another was previously signed with the West African nation of Ghana. This agreement also included Guyana’s South American neighbour, Brazil, and will allow for direct flights to those countries. It also gave clearance for any airline which wishes to fly here from those countries.

It was during the 2019 Budgetary Debates that Business Minister Dominic Gaskin boasted of a 17 per cent increase in visitor arrivals up to September, when compared with figures during the same period in 2017.

Gaskin had deemed the increase good news for the country as it will add to the economy.
More than that, there was another Interline Agreement that Guyana inked with German airline, Condor (Thomas Cook Group) and LIAT for flights from Germany to Guyana which made flights easier and more convenient for passengers using this route. The Interline Agreement is one between individual airlines which is drafted to handle passengers traveling on itineraries that require multiple flights on multiple airlines.

It will allow passengers to use coordinated flight connections and checked-through luggage and affords cheaper tickets year-round.

In this case, the contract will allow travellers from Europe to enjoy an easier and more comfortable connection to Guyana. In addition to Germany and Guyana, countries such as Austria and Switzerland will be able to reap the benefits of this agreement. The proposed connections will run through Antigua, making it a smoother connection to Georgetown, Guyana, without passengers losing much travel time waiting for connecting flights.

This means that persons flying into the Caribbean can continue their journey and arrive in Guyana the same day. With all these agreements being signed, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion Project is still slated for completion after almost seven years.